Haunted Blades
by Little Miss Firebright
Summary: Wielding Doublade grants incredible power and drains life. To protect the ancient courts of Kalos, the shadowy order known as the Nightblades train as children to master the ghostly swords. But with civil unrest, noble plots, and the Cult of Yveltal threatening all life, even a living weapon could lose herself to the web of lies…and her own dark power.
1. Twin Souls

**Chapter 1: Twin Souls**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon, but I do have two swords. They're entirely impractical, and very awesome. **

**Written for Pokéwrite's Summer Fanfic Contest - "****Write a story where the main focus is on the middle evolution of a Pokémon." More details on my profile page under the contest tab! **

**Final Score: **_Plot: 5/5 - __Characters: 5/5 - __Detail: 5/5 - __Language: 5/5 - _**_Total: 20_** **\- Tied For 1st Place Winner**

**~o~**

Most children in Kalos start with small, cute Pokémon with button eyes and fluffy fur, to practice training elemental monsters as safely as possible. Katria was given a bloodthirsty demon sword that wanted to eat her soul.

Or rather, the newly hatched Honedge chose _her_, ignoring the other nervous orphans in crisply ironed blue tunics to float before her stunned silver eyes. As if the haunted blade already knew Katria, though she'd just been born.

The adults in gorgeous finery murmured at the display, standing in a regal row with their awestruck children. The King of Kalos stood at the head of the room, a picture of nobility in his navy blue suit trimmed with gold embroidery. A heavy crown rested on his soft chestnut waves, offset by a sharp beard and faintly curled moustache. His sharp, clear eyes missed nothing.

But Katria had quite forgotten her audience, and the very world around her. The little girl with a spiked purple ponytail reached out her hand, and took the handle of the blade.

_Hunger_ rocked through her, alien and all encompassing. Katria's mouth dropped into an 'o' of shock, tightening her grip as strange emotions and desires rocked through her, which were very decidedly not _hers_. And she knew with perfect clarity her Honedge yearned to devour her life!

Katria's toes left the ground as ghostly power rippled around her, her mouth screwed up in deep concentration as she drank in the Honedge's mind, and hers was read in response! The Honedge's single eye shone crimson – and the power surrounding Katria vanished.

"You won't hurt me?" Katria whispered in honest confusion, her face ashen. "But…why?" For she knew the haunted blade's terrible hunger, and couldn't understand her restraint.

"_Because you are Katria._"

The little girl yelped, nearly dropping her sword in shock. Blade Master Branimir's warm hand fell on her shoulder. "Surprised you, did she? Don't worry, Katria. This blade read your heart, and deemed you worthy. There's nothing like the mental link from holding soul steel, is there, my girl?" The brawny man laughed to himself, walking down the line of children. Only four held Honedge with wonderous expressions, as if their entire world had shifted in an instant. Unpaired Honedge wandered aimlessly, uninterested in anyone. A curly haired boy named Gabriel glared at Katria with undisguised jealousy, his own hands empty for the third year running.

Branimir clapped his hands together. "Esquires! Commune with your blades – discover their will, as either rangers or guardians of the court!"

Katria looked at her Honedge, whose blue sash wound tightly around her arm. The little girl walked towards the line of nobility uncertainly, following a faint impulse like a beacon. Past the rows of satin ballgowns and powdered wigs, towards the king and his small son.

She stopped. A tiny blonde girl in a pink dress stared up at her with open terror, her lower lip trembling beneath rosy cheeks. "I think I'm supposed to protect you," Katria said, wondering why the little girl was all alone. "What's your name?"

"…Alexi," she hushed, so quietly Katria barely heard her.

"Don't be afraid," Katria assured her, warmth emanating from her blade like a radiant song, "I…no, _we_, will keep you safe. Forever."

"You _promise_?" Alexi whispered, her big blue eyes going wide. "Really?"

"Really."

Branimir smiled in fierce approval. "Katria, age six, Esquire Guardian to Alexi Markov. And our three Esquire Rangers, tasked with missions to protect Kalos, step forward to complete your vows as protectors of the kingdom…"

The next years rushed by in a blur. Katria trained every night, and accompanied Alexi during each day. Her friends in the rangers came and went, alternating missions with castle guard duty. Gabriel was a thorn in her side until he earned a blade at the age of ten, and eventually their feud became rivalry and cautious friendship.

She never had another Pokémon. Her Honedge's ribbons never left her skin, and Katria forgot what it was to be alone. Her blade hungered, surviving off the barest tastes of her soul, and eventually Katria hungered, too, their emotions one and the same. She trained to control her impulses. And the blade whispered secrets to her, teaching her to use ghostly power in exchange for her own life…

But despite their closeness, they were still 'two'.

Until the day her Honedge evolved in her hands, after years of companionship.

Honedge vanished into light and thought, rippling through Katria's mind and soul in a kaleidoscopic eternity of melding memories and perceptions. When the light shattered from her skin, Katria saw the world through new eyes, twin blades clasped in her bare hands. Life energy shone like cold moons through the clouds, visible beyond walls and floors. Katria could taste emotion, and hear spectral whispers, cold fire searing through her bones!

Shadows whipped from her skin and blew through her purple hair like a storm, lurid light leeching from her bones into the crushingly tight magenta sashes of her Doublade…

"Fight it, Katria!" Branimir snapped, urgent and almost afraid, but why should Katria obey? She was immortal, all powerful, _unbeatable_!

Cold shock snapped her back to reality. With a moan, she released the power, until she was almost a person again, _almost_ Katria.

But still the power hummed beneath the surface, begging to be used…

"Not bad," Branimir admitted, visibly shaken. He consulted a mark written by his Aegislash – a trained Pokémon, not a paired soul. "You only lost two years of life. Most newly evolved Doublade take five before control is regained. You have power, Katria. But every use of it will drain your life. Those who can't fight the addiction die young. A Honedge controls how much energy it takes, but sharing the mind of a Doublade during evolution means _you_ must learn as well."

Katria half listened, reeling from her new strength. The twin minds of her Doublade mirrored her own, tripling her senses and lending brilliant clarity to her thoughts. Separate no longer, the three were 'Katria', whole and unbroken, greater together than those apart could ever hope to be.

She understood, then, why no one ever gave up their blades willingly after evolution. To lose this connection would tear her soul in two, leaving her a hollowed, broken shell.

Katria was an Esquire no longer, taking the title of Nightblade at the age of fourteen. The highest rank she could ever attain.

Only a king could wield an Aegislash, and live.

~o~


	2. The Nightblades

**Chapter 2: The Nightblades**

**Disclaimer: I don't have ghosts. I'm pretty sure. Randomly closing doors is normal, right? **

**~o~**

Fighting was a lot like dancing, if one ignored the risk of impending death.

Steel screamed against steel, ghost-fire sparking from each clashing blow. Her blades whirled and spun like silver lightning, defending equally swift blows without hesitation or thought. Katria's soft boots shifted positions in a constant dance, silent on the stone. She defended patiently, darting around her increasingly frustrated opponent to keep him off center. Gabriel's strength was crushing, if given the time for a proper strike. Katria didn't give it to him.

His Doublade lashed out in sweeping strikes towards her torso, forcing her to leap back, and he barreled towards her with a frustrated roar. Katria landed on the balls of her feet, crouching low and darting right to avoid two heavy handed slashes.

An opening flashed by, seen through the eye on her Doublade's hilt, and Katria struck, drawing a thin line of blood from Gabriel's leg. His blades shrieked in metallic indignation. Shadowy veins stretched towards Gabriel's eyes at his shout.

The light vanished, devoured by his haunted swords. Ghost-fire shone in his eyes, lending him sight in pitch darkness. Katria's hasty defense barely blocked his double-handed strike, sending her to her knees.

Power thrummed against her mind longingly, but she didn't draw on it, whirling in defense through hearing and instinct alone. Gabriel's strikes shuddered through her bones. She rolled, and his Doublade cut the stone in a shower of crimson sparks.

"Enough!"

The lights returned at Branimir's sharp clap. Gabriel's blades sheathed themselves at his back, their sashes still wound around his upper arms. Sweat darkened the muscular man's brown curls. He reached out a strong hand, helping Katria to her feet. "You're as quick as ever, Kat," he grouched, exasperated but smiling.

Katria brushed bangs out of her silver eyes, breathing hard while Eve and Noir sheathed themselves. As a guardian, she didn't have as much real combat experience as a ranger, but she kept her skills sharp sparring against unpaired Doublade and Aegislash. "It was a good match," she acknowledged simply.

"It was Katria's win," Branimir rumbled, crossing his battle-scarred arms.

Gabriel's eyes flashed, his fist tightening. "What? I almost had her!"

But the Blade Master didn't back down, judgement thick in his gaze. "She conserved her strength on defense until your temper snapped, and kept her head in the dark. You're a talented fighter, Gabriel, but you're too quick to use your blades' power. Once your life force is gone, it's gone forever. Katria wins."

Gabriel's mouth twisted into an ugly sneer. "You're only favoring her because she guards your stuck-up daughter!"

"You're out of line!" Branimir bellowed sharply, making the younger man flinch.

He clenched his jaw, bowing his head in a quick incline. "If you'll excuse me," Gabriel said through gritted teeth, stalking out of the room. The slamming door echoed against the stone walls.

Katria watched him go. Being grounded from missions was wearing at Gabriel's patience – he'd given in to his blades' bottomless hunger, and accidentally killed a civilian.

She felt for him, but the law was clear. Castle duty.

She peered sidelong at the Blade Master. "Do you favor me?" she checked, arching an eyebrow.

Branimir snorted. The ash blond warrior was built like a mountain, with fierce blue eyes and a thick moustache. "You're better than he is. But I also like you more. Knowing you're protecting Alexi lets me focus on training Nightblades and Aegislash." He paused, shooting a fond glance at her. "And you can play chess. Is there anyone in court you haven't beaten yet?"

Katria kept her expression neutral. "Prince Alain."

"Ha! You're smart enough to _lose_ to that fop. I think the King himself is the only player likely to best you – but beating a king is risky business." Katria hid her smile as Branimir laughed.

"Go on, then! My silly daughter is waiting for you."

~o~

Silver blonde hair cascaded over a red velvet quilt, as sixteen-year-old Alexi Markov sighed dramatically. "Oh, _Katria_, today was so terrible I might die! I had to smile at Adalena. It was traumatizing."

"Sounds serious," Katria agreed solemnly, her feet propped on a gleaming mahogany desk. They were alone in Alexi's lavish bedchamber, the one place they could speak freely and without pretense. "I'm a trained ghost warrior, but that would be too much for me."

Alexi giggled, kicking off her heeled boots to better sprawl across her bed. "At least it's over! The ladies of court are off to their silly Furfrou grooming, and I get to stay here with you! Lisette's Furfrou is a beastly creature – I hope it eats her shoes and gets banished for treason."

"You 'get' to stay with me in the castle because the Cult of Yveltal is on the move again, and might try to kill the last Markov daughter," Katria pointed out dryly.

"Oh, hush with the minor details. You get to skip the grooming too! And we haven't talked in _ages_." Alexi sighed blissfully, holding a pillow to her chest. "Court is driving me mad. You're the only honest woman I know." Katria's snort earned her a thrown pillow. "Oh fine, you have Nightblade secrets, but at least you tell me when you _can't_ reveal something. It's entirely different! Intrigue and double talk will be the death of me. Your bluntness keeps me sane."

And Alexi's carefree smile kept Katria sane, surrounded by the grim-faced former Nightblade Rangers guarding the castle. Most had under five years of life remaining, and been forced to retire from the field. She wondered if they'd forgotten how to smile, or had never learned in the first place.

She played idly with a rosy music box, winding the antique silver knob shaped like a lily. Soft notes pattered out a melody, and Alexi went very still. "I hate them," she whispered, staring at the painted ceiling.

"I know." Katria set down the music box, letting the song continue.

The Cult of Yveltal hated the Markovs, who worshipped and were blessed by Xerneas. The royal family of a neighboring country had been wiped out, save Branimir and his daughter, and been taken in by the King of Kalos for protection. Alexi's mother was killed when she was two. Only a year before she'd met Katria…

Music boxes were given to each Markov at birth, in a tradition spanning centuries. When they died, it was a way for their children to remember them. Markov Manor had once displayed hundreds of ancient music boxes, before it was burned to the ground.

Alexi pressed a pillow into her face as her mother's music box sang her a lullaby, drying a few stray tears.

Katria's blades hummed. In a flash she silenced the music box, listening intently.

"What's wrong?"

Her blades slid free in a hiss. "Get under the bed," Katria instructed, her Doublade's swirled magenta sashes wrapping her arms from wrist to shoulder. Alexi obeyed in silent shock, her lips white.

Cold fire seeped through her veins. Katria's silver eyes closed briefly; they were black when she opened them, lined with flickering ghost fire. White souls sprang before her vision, dotting the castle by the hundreds.

But Katria was fairly sure no one was supposed to be scaling the tower!

When the first cloaked assassin crashed through the window, a Shadow Ball shot him straight back out, fired from the tip of Eve's blade. Katria whirled, slicing an intangible Noir _through_ the wall, rematerializing on the other side to a shocked scream and distant thud.

The door splintered and cracked. A Pangoro's thick black claws tore the heavy wood to kindling. Dark types! Katria's jaw tightened, pulsing rage feeding her swords' power.

Glimmering starlight encompassed the blades as she charged forward, trailing silver embers. The Pangoro fell before realizing he'd been cut, bright slashes burning on his fur. "Sacred Sword," Katria snarled, as the Pangoro collapsed with a dull crash.

His cloaked trainer never got his second Pokémon free of its Apricorn, cut down by the furious Nightblade. Her swords shrieked with power as they drank his life and soul, sending a stab of addiction through her heart!

But she couldn't keep it, or her blades would be overcome with greed and eat her _own_ soul! Katria channeled the energy into a shadowy wave with a shout, and three enemies fell to the soul-infused strike.

Alexi cowered under the bed; Katria cursed, seeing a dozen more figures scaling the tower. "Follow me!" she commanded. Alexi scrambled free, snatching the music box despite her haste. She stifled a gasp as they ran past the bodies in the hall, Katria leading the way.

Her blades arched up, catching a downward sweep as they rounded a corner. "Katria!" Gabriel breathed, lowering his weapons. "Something happened to the guards – it's the cult! Looks like our intel had a few details wrong. Stars but I'm glad to see you!"

A shadowy cloaked figure dashed down the hall, streaking towards the inner castle. Gabriel swore. "Stay with Alexi!" he called, sprinting after the assassin…towards the forbidden archives.

"Gabe, _don't_!" Katria protested, gritting her teeth as he phased through a wall and out of reach. There wasn't time to worry about him! She gripped her glowing blades, prepared to fight to the end.

The cult fled when backup arrived minutes later. She let them – the rangers would track them to their base! Katria sank to the ground, breathing hard. Power drained from her muscles, leaving her shaking.

She closed her eyes, consulting her blades, though she already knew what they'd say.

A month of her lifespan, gone in ten minutes.

~o~


	3. Whatever the Cost

**Chapter 3: Whatever the Cost**

**Disclaimer: I like to think I wouldn't sell my soul for power, but the ability to summon Jalape****ño Cheetos at will would be a terrible temptation.  
**

**~o~**

Katria didn't know _why_ King Auguste Basile demanded to speak with her following the attack, and didn't like not knowing.

She reluctantly left Alexi with an Aegislash formation for safekeeping, making her way to the war chambers. A heavy atmosphere loomed within, as all eyes turned to her. "My King," Katria greeted, bowing.

"Take a seat." She obeyed, kneeling on the stone next to Gabriel. She'd never seen him so tense and pale before. Branimir stood by the King, his expression terribly still.

"I understand you chased a member of the Cult of Yveltal into a restricted area, Katria," the King stated, his gloved hands tightening on his scepter. "Tell me what happened."

Her head snapped up. Sweat bead on Gabriel's temple as he stared straight ahead, his fists tight.

Her blood ran cold with understanding.

This incident would be Gabriel's third strike – he'd lose his swords! Eve and Noir shuddered with sympathy in their sheath. "I did," Katria whispered, bowing her head. "I left Alexi with Gabriel while I pursued the assassin, killed…" Had they been male or female? "_Him_, and returned to take over her protection. Gabriel left to defend another position, and backup arrived to the east hall shortly after. I am truly sorry – I couldn't allow the cult member to steal top secret information."

"What did you see in the sealed room?" His stony expression was unreadable. She couldn't tell if he believed her.

A hazed memory whispered over her, from Gabriel's blades to hers. Just faint enough the Aegislash guardians couldn't sense the power! Her heart thundered at the risk, despite her even tone. "A book, in a circular room. The cult member was reading it when I killed him."

"Did you read the book?" the King whispered, cold fury turning his gaze to flint. Katria hesitated. Gabriel's faint memory hadn't included details! But it was open, and surely they'd expect her to have glanced at it…

"Only the page the book was open to, sir."

The King whirled to face the wall, his muscles bunching. "King Auguste, Katria's loyalty to the crown is beyond reproach!" Branimir protested hotly.

"You overstep your bounds and betray your _favoritism_, Blade Master," King Auguste snapped, silencing the man. "The law is clear!"

"Please, she didn't mean it!" Gabriel defended, _pleading_. "She was only defending the castle, and _you_, you can't just-!"

"Enough!" His sharp glare silenced the room, and all at once he let out a deep breath, turning away again.

"Katria is hereby sentenced to six months assisting in the soul forge. You're all dismissed."

"Thank you, my liege," Branimir whispered, visibly shaken. They left without another word, before he changed his mind. "Katria," Branimir said, catching her shoulder after the door swung shut. "About what you saw…I understand it's a lot to take in, but I never meant…you must understand…I'll be here to talk, when you're ready."

Katria didn't know what to say. "Very well, Blade Master," she replied neutrally.

Branimir clenched his jaw as if displeased with her answer, nodded sharply, and turned on his heels to leave.

The moment they were alone, Gabriel wrapped her in a crushing hug. The scent of warm leather and pine enshrouded her. "Thank you," he breathed, shuddering. "Stars, _thank you_! I wonder what was in that book to get them so worked up?"

"You didn't see?"

"A little. The cult member fell over the page, and I didn't move him," Gabriel explained, mopping his glistening forehead with his long sleeve. "It was just names, though, in a neat list." He hesitated, his words spilling out in a rush. "Kat, you know I'd choose you over anyone, right? You and I can only rely on each other in this crazy world – friends come first."

His cheer seemed forced, barely masking terrible strain. But then, he'd almost lost his blades today…

"After my King and Alexi," Katria agreed guardedly, and Gabriel froze.

"Of course," he said, oddly detached, forcing a smile. "I wouldn't expect anything else. Thanks again, Kat, I seriously owe you."

"I'll collect on that later," she promised dryly, lightening the strange mood.

There was one consolation after the dark day. Whatever the cult had been looking for, they hadn't gotten away with….

~o~

Working the soul forge tested muscles Katria hadn't known she had. Every day she spent two hours with the spectral hammers, repairing chipped Honedge and Doublade with blood and molten silver. Hard work, but only a courtesy punishment, as her first major 'infraction'.

The Forgemaster surveyed her work critically. He was a Nightblade; a rare case assigned to a special post instead of the guardians or rangers. The white bearded man rarely drew his swords, and had reached an unusually advanced age as a result.

A gleaming black Aegislash hovered at his side, edged in scarlet – Wraithbane, strongest of the castle's Aegislash, and a good friend to his Nightblade 'children', as he fondly called them.

Katria stood back, letting the Honedge hover for inspection, her sleeveless purple tunic dark with sweat. The Forgemaster grunted. "Passable," he allowed, and she let out a relieved breath.

It was the best praise she'd get from the man. She allowed herself a brief smile, draping a rag over her shoulder.

Katria didn't mind the forge, though Alexi was irritable with her absences, and disliked the bland man who watched over her in Katria's absence.

The thought of someone hurting her was intolerable. The ghost warrior longed to strike against the Cult of Yveltal, but kept her position per orders.

The Nightblade Rangers had found their base, and were gathering information. It wasn't time to strike, but soon…Alexi would be safe, forever. She was on edge, filled with restless energy – the forge helped temper her smoldering emotions, at least.

Gabriel's easy laughter sounded from the mess hall. "_The young master seems to be in better spirits_," Wraithbane noted, his haunting voice echoing oddly. Only Nightblades could hear him, through their own soul swords. "_He has not lost his temper since last week's attack, and is socializing freely."_

"About time he mellowed," the Forgemaster grunted. "Arrogance doesn't suit a living weapon."

"_People, Forgemaster. Not weapons,"_ Wraithbane reproved firmly.

"They're weapons!" the Forgemaster insisted darkly. "A Doublade alone is superior to the greatest human swordsman, but Nightblades are better than that! Stronger together than they could ever be apart – and without a four move limit like a trained Pokémon! Make no mistake, Katria – you're a sword, a weapon of war…_not_ a person."

She was rather used to his cynicism. "Nightblades _are_ superior…except for the tiny flaw of trading their life force for power," she agreed sardonically.

A gasp came from the doorway met her statement.

Katria _swore_.

"Alexi, wait!" she shouted, abandoning the forge to chase the fleeing blonde girl down the halls. Ignoring the Forgemaster's shouts.

Numbness stained her thoughts. Alexi had heard her. And had a sizable head start. Why was she _here_? Had she skipped her beloved math lesson?

It didn't matter. Alexi wasn't supposed to know about the Nightblade's lifespan! Damage control was her priority, now. Katria ducked through the kitchens, intending to cut her off in the grand hall. But a sea of silk dresses and fashionable pastel suits filled the hall, and Katria swore again, casting her gaze out for Alexi's sunflower chiffon.

"Katria!" Prince Alain called, seeing her across the crowded room. The carefree prince held a bubbly champagne flute, his blue eyes bright above flushed cheeks. A regal Pyroar lounged at his feet. "Sensible Katria, come settle a bet, will you?"

"Where's Alexi?"

"Oh my, have you lost your charge?" Adalena simpered behind a jewel crusted fan, her powdered wig piled high and laced with ribbon. "Isn't that your _only_ job? We _wanted_ to invite Alexi to this impromptu party, but she has those dreadful lessons after all…"

Katria resisted the urge to stuff a pie into her powdered mask of a face. A flash of rich yellow caught her gaze, and Katria dashed across the room, and into a side corridor, Adalena's whisper of delighted shock fading behind her.

"Did you _see_ how dirty she was? I've seen cleaner Gogoat herders! And her _hair_…"

Katria stopped servants for information, but none had seen her. Katria was on the brink of activating her blades and trading a few days for soul sight when she found her.

Katria closed the door of Alexi's bedchamber warily. She sat in darkness, glaring in sullen silence out the window.

Her cheerful tone was gone, replaced by flat betrayal.

"You never told me."

"Alexi, I don't know what you think you heard, but…"

"_No_!" she lashed out, furious tears staining her flushed cheeks. "You're dying! Everyone _knows_ you're dying, for _me_, and they don't care! Those wretched blades are eating your life, aren't they?"

"Alexi…"

"Don't lie to me," Alexi begged brokenly, clutching her arms tight across her waist. "Don't _you_ lie to me, too."

Katria froze. She'd never known what to do when Alexi cried. She sat by her best friend's, mulling over what to say. She rubbed small circles on Alexi's back while she sobbed. "Fine," she admitted. Alexi Markov would get the truth out of _someone_ before long. Better to hear it from her. "The Nightblades die young in exchange for power. Every special ability uses some of our lifespan. But I'm not dying anytime soon."

"That isn't good enough. Why is my life worth more than yours? Or _any_ of ours?"

"Besides the fact that Nightblades are abandoned orphans from across Kalos?" Katria joked. It didn't help. Alexi glared at her.

"Why aren't you just as furious as I?" she demanded wearily. "Do you want to die?"

Katria frowned. "You wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

Katria didn't know if she could put her feelings into words. Eve and Noir unsheathed themselves, and she lazily flicked the steel through the air. "We share minds, the three of us," she began absently, sparring against an invisible enemy. "Their perceptions are mine…their speed, skill, _power_. She understands me on every level of my mind. And loves me, too. Even as she hungers for my soul, she loves me." She centered herself, her blades flicking in strikes too fast for the human eye to follow, as Katria whirled and stopped in front of Alexi's stunned eyes. "I see the world as no normal human could. I mold my emotions into power, to protect those I love. This intimacy, this strength…life without it would be unbearable. It's a price I'm willing to pay."

Alexi's face crumpled. "And what shall I do without you?" she asked hopelessly. "Oh, Katria, how could I be without you?"

Katria rubbed her back while she sobbed, ignoring the dinner bells as the sun slipped beneath the horizon. She fell asleep without realizing, and woke some time later to the faint lullaby of a music box. Alexi stared at the intricate design in the moonlight, slumped on her desk.

"This is all I have to remember my mother," she whispered, before Katria could speak. "What will I have to remember you?"

"I'm still here," Katria whispered, not knowing what to say.

Her voice hardened. "Promise me you won't overuse your powers. No matter what! I need you. You're the only one I can depend on."

Hunger echoed viciously through her blades, and her nails dug into her arm. "I promise," Katria swore. "I'll always be watching over you, Alexi. A silly concept like death won't stop me." She extended a hand, helping Alexi up and steering her towards the bed. She pressed a glass of water into her hands, sitting by her side.

"And if you want to remember me," she said seriously, changing gears, "just play chess. And know that when you inevitably lose, I'll be laughing at you…"

Alexi shoved her off the bed, smiling against her will, and Katria laughed.

Time enough for difficult conversations later. She'd only used fifteen years of power – better than any ranger, and most guardians. Strangely, she was glad Alexi knew. Her blades whispered agreement.

She pulled the heavy quilt over her friend's shoulders, and disappeared to her modest room down the hall, the door clicking behind her.

~o~


	4. Dance of Blades

**Chapter 4: Dance of Steel**

**Disclaimer: The author does not endorse trading life energy for superpowers, but if you're going to do it anyways, make sure to get a magic costume upgrade along with it. It definitely makes you stronger.**

**~o~**

Obeying orders was rarely hard, but guarding a birthday party instead of destroying the Cult of Yveltal challenged her willpower!

Katria leaned against the wall, dressed in a simple black uniform with a purple sash that matched her hair. Her blades hummed, enjoying the music and rush of emotions from the dance hall, filled to the brim with laughing lords and ladies in their finest regalia. She was glad _they_ were having fun.

After two weeks of reconnaissance, the rangers had thoroughly mapped the cult's base and numbers. Everything was perfect…except the King refused to give the order, until _after_ Prince Alain's eighteenth birthday party. Some nonsense about 'not sending away the entire security force right before the biggest event of the year'.

Katria sighed. There was no help for it. She kept an eye on Alexi, sheathed in scarlet silk as she danced with a courtier…not missing Prince Alain's wandering eyes as she whirled past.

"Adalena is beautiful, is she not?"

Katria blanched. The King stood by her side, watching the dance. He swirled the punch in his pewter goblet. "Lisette plays fourteen instruments. And lovely Odette brings her family fortune, and would strengthen the alliance with the eastern nobility. Who should be Alain's queen?"

"Alexi," Katria said bluntly, folding her arms.

"She's clever, and well liked," the King agreed cordially, humoring her. "But her family has nothing to offer."

"You trust her father implicitly," she pointed out.

"True," he allowed. "But is that enough? Perhaps you love her because your blades yearn to protect her…more than the kingdom itself."

Her temper flared. "Protecting Alexi is the same as protecting the kingdom! Adalena is vain, Lisette is a simpering boot-licker, and Odette is an idiot! Alexi studies math and economy for _fun!_ She knows people, and the people love her for it. She's naïve, but willing to learn. And the Markov's may be gone, but their bloodline is blessed by Xerneas. Adding her lineage to the royal bloodline would surely bless the land!"

The King didn't react to her outburst, thoughtful and silent. Katria flushed, wondering if she'd stepped too far. She always was too blunt!

"Perhaps," the King allowed, and disappeared back into the throngs of dancers, leaving Katria off-guard and flustered.

Gabriel caught her eye, pushing through the crowd to reach the wall. "You look like you could use a drink," he noted, offering her a glass. "No? Well you can't just stand here looking gloomy! Come with me for a moment." He cut off her protests, pressing a finger to her lips. "No buts – I daresay the entire Nightblade army can protect Alexi for ten minutes! Come along, now, Kat."

She shut her mouth ruefully, allowing him to pull her through the crowd, and out of the ballroom. He bowed in the darkened hall adjoining the party, holding out his hand. "May I have this dance?" She laughed, and a wounded look graced his features. "I'm being serious, Kat."

_That_ shut her up. "I don't dance," she managed, taken off guard. Gabriel stepped forward, taking her hand and pulling her close.

"That's why we're out here." They whirled in a slow circle, his lips against her ear. "I _do_ dance," he breathed, leading her in a waltz step by step, to the music and laughter in the next room. Slow heat burned where their hands touched, and Katria tried very hard to focus on learning the steps, stumbling over her own feet.

"There you go," Gabriel approved, their movements synchronizing. "It's just like sword fighting…" Katria's heart fluttered, and in his arms, for the first time she wondered what it'd be like to have a proper life…

The song ended an eternity later, but they stood close long after the music ended. Gabriel stepped back, brushing her purple hair aside. "I rarely see your hair down," he explained, as if it were any explanation at all. "Let me get you that drink before you go back on duty – I've been fetching things for all the other Nightblades tonight, anyways."

"What's gotten into you, Gabe?" Katria wondered, trying to fit this strange new man into her memories of an impulsive, arrogant boy.

Gabriel gave her a lopsided grin. "I know who I want to be, Kat. Perspective changes everything. I'll do whatever it takes to fight for what's mine – no matter who gets in my way."

He shook his head, as if clearing away a bad memory. "I'm the only person you need – I hope you'll understand that, someday. C'mon. Let's get back."

It was only after the glow of their dance faded that Katria realized how ominous his words truly sounded. But no, surely she was reading into things. It was _Gabriel_. He was an idiot, but not a _dangerous_ idiot. Her instincts were just on edge, what with the upcoming battle against the cult.

She sipped her drink as the party wound down and dispersed, wondering why sweet, minty perfume was wafting from the hearths. Thick, almost cloying.

It wasn't her problem. Her only job was to...

~o~

Pain woke her.

Eve and Noir's panicked metallic shrieks subsided when she moved, her face pressed against cool tile in pitch darkness. Their clutching sashes loosened their terrible grip – she'd have bruises for sure.

Low voices carried through the stillness. Katria kept her breathing even – _listening_. It took several minutes for them to approach enough to hear.

Cloaks whispered over the tile. "_Nightblades_. Should we kill them?"

"Don't bother. Might wake their blades, and then we'd be in for it. Soul paired Doublade avenge their fallen masters in brutal fury, and die of loneliness when they're finished. Besides. The entire _castle_ will be sacrificed to Lord Yveltal. Find the girl and her father."

"Maybe we can finally have peace, after this revolution." The voice was wistful. "Look at this place! My children starved, and there's gold on the walls!"

Katria's descending blades hesitated at his words. She shifted at the last second, knocking out the cult member with the flat of her sword. He fell like a stone, crumpling to join the pile of unconscious dancers. His companion let out a short shout, before Katria's fist slammed in his stomach, Noir hovering to the right.

She listened tensely, but no sounds answered the scuffle. A Doublade cried in the darkness, and Katria ran to the Nightblade's side. She shook the unconscious woman's shoulder, but couldn't wake her. More blades cried in the dark for their masters to rise, unanswered.

They wouldn't be any help – paired Doublade would never willingly separate from their partner!

Cold fury roared in her ears. The cult _wouldn't get away with this_!

Power boomed from her blades, whipping a chill breeze through her hair. Katria's eyes bled black, lined with terrible fire, savage joy thrilling in her heart as she gave in to her blades' full power. Souls shone white through the castle walls, highlighting the figures still awake in this drugged atmosphere, and ravenous hunger surged over her!

Tonight, she wouldn't hold back!

The cult thought they were safe in the sleeping castle. The cult was _wrong_. Katria hunted in the shadows like an avenging wraith, seeking out every moving soul with a terrible coldness. Her blades struck to debilitate, not kill, phasing through bodies to slice at souls instead of flesh. They collapsed without a scream, never knowing she was there at all. She dashed through walls and dropped through floors, invisible and unseen, her blades consuming the light from any torches as she arrived. She tasted their bubbling fear when the light vanished, yearning to devour their souls with all her heart, resisting a little less fervently each time…

A dark part of her longed to fight each individually, and test their skills, but Katria forced herself to strike silently. She'd promised Alexi to conserve her strength, Alexi, who was all alone somewhere in this nightmare!

Fear thrummed sweetly against her blades, and Katria zeroed in on a huddled figure through the wall. Ghost-fire bled cold through her veins, until she was thought instead of flesh, a wispy caricature of herself. She stepped through the wall, rematerializing on the other side.

A feeble lantern snuffed out at her entrance, but not before Katria saw! Her blades stopped an inch from Alexi's throat, releasing the light back into the room with a surprised hiss.

She hushed her before she could cry out, relief cascading over her in a dizzying wave. They embraced, Alexi's lithe form shaking in stress. She touched the dark veins tracing Katria's fiery eyes, the blood draining from her face despite herself. "_Katria_."

"Don't worry about it," she reassured in a low whisper, despite the crimson lightning sparking from her skin to the tight sashes of her Doublade. "_Everything_ will be fine."

"Gabriel is awake too, and two other rangers," Alexi babbled. "He said to stay hidden, and he'd be right back!"

"I'll wait with you."

"But…the cult is still out there!"

"My only priority is you," Katria murmured, her blades humming in savage agreement. "Gabriel is a ranger – this is his job." She paused, pressing her senses out as far as she could. She couldn't differentiate individuals, but Doublade had their own soul. "A Nightblade is on the third floor. I can't see the other two. It's probably him."

"How did this happen?" Alexi demanded. "Our security was airtight!" Katria was silent, wishing she had an answer.

The door opened several minutes later, and Gabriel's eyes flashed in shock. "Kat! You're _awake_?" His gaze flickered to Alexi. "The King is safe, but the other Nightblades are…"

"I saw." Had the other rangers been defeated? She didn't have time to ask. "Look out!"

A High Priest of the Cult of Yveltal stepped down the stairs in a maroon cloak, unhurried and sedate. He held a strange, jagged sword, bisected in black and red, like no weapon Katria had ever seen.

Fresh blood gleamed wet on the evil blade. Branimir's chamber door stood open at the top of the staircase.

Katria didn't think, her Doublade leaping to her hands! She streaked forward with a furious scream, shadows coating her silver blades in reckless abandon.

But something interfered with her ghostly blades, preventing an intangible phase! She gashed his arm instead, while Eve collided with the bloody sword, and-

Katria screamed, pain shattering up her arm from the blow, Eve keening with agony at her side. She leapt back, avoiding a stabbing thrust aimed at her ribs, firing a clumsy Shadow Ball from Noir. The priest batted away the glob of shadows contemptuously.

Her mind raced as she danced away, wary of the powerful weapon. It was a dark type _sword_, something she'd never considered. "In that case," she whispered, starlight screaming along her blades in a Sacred Sword strike-

"Kat, no!" Gabriel shouted, blocking her slash with his own swords. "We don't know what that thing is capable of, _fall back_!"

The priest whirled, dropping out the window in the brief opening. Light flashed on the battlements, and a winged creature soared past the yellow harvest moon. "Look what you've done!" Katria hissed, sheathing her swords.

The cult was fleeing again, following some unseen signal. But a cold, leaden weight filled her stomach when she looked at Branimir's open door…

Wracking coughs issued from upstairs, and her heart started beating again.

Alexi dashed upstairs before anyone could protest, her rustling silk skirts bunched in her gloved hands.

"Get King Auguste," Katria instructed Gabriel coldly, her fists clenching tight. "The Blade Master is dying."

~o~

Alexi wept, clutching her father's rough hand as if nothing else were real. King Auguste looked down at the ragged belly wound grimly. Even with emergency treatment, he wouldn't last long.

"A thousand years ago, the Markov family won the blessing of Xerneas," he murmured. "They bring happiness and prosperity wherever they go, exuding the life aura of their patron. Do you know why I took in the Markovs, Katria?"

She didn't answer, her throat thick with tears. "I saved them," he continued, "because that aura is capable of calming Yveltal's rage. It was a failsafe, against the desperate revolutionists. But there was risk as well – for ritually sacrificing a Markov can wake Yveltal from its long slumber."

Katria's head snapped up, remembering the jagged crimson blade. The King followed her thoughts, his features grim. "If that blade reaches Yveltal's cavern, it could be the end of us all," he concluded with finality.

"Then…Alexi can stop it!" Katria realized, wild hope blooming in her chest, but the King didn't seem to share her enthusiasm.

"At a price. A willing sacrifice of Xerneas' chosen will do the trick. Better, I think, to stop this before it goes further. You and Gabriel are the only conscious Nightblades. The cult is two hundred strong at their base – and you'd be alone."

Even the castle's Aegislash had been defeated, though she didn't understand _how_. "Take Alexi with you," the King instructed, and she drew in a hissing breath. "As insurance. This may be our only chance, Katria."

"I want to speak to Katria," Branimir slurred, scowling fiercely. "Don't you object! I deserve to talk to her. I have to. Before I fall asleep, I've got to…"

The King regarded his dying friend with cold pity. "Very well. She knows the truth, anyways. And has kept our secrets. You have my permission to speak freely, Branimir. Gabriel, take Alexi on ahead. Katria will catch up."

"Sir," Gabriel acknowledged, bowing deep.

With that, they left Katria alone with her dying mentor.

"C'mere," Branimir rasped, his eyes glazed. "There's not much time. I've got something for you…" He broke off with a sob. "Oh, Katria. Can you ever forgive me?"

She listened to his rambling confession numbly, her world shattering with each word he spoke. And took the pouch he gave her, before the life drained from his heart and a last breath rattled from his lips.

And all at once, she realized with a sickened jolt how the Cult of Yveltal had gotten past their defenses…

~o~


	5. Of Demons and Kings

**Chapter 5: Of Demons and Kings  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yveltal, but if I did I'd name him something bacon related.  
**

**~o~**

Evening gloom blanketed the stony terrain outside the cult's catacomb base. Katria's steps were loud on the gravel as she ghosted between broken concrete houses in the abandoned mountain village.

"Alexi!" she shouted, her voice echoing against the cliffs. No answer. "I know you're here, Alexi. Answer me!"

"You just couldn't leave it alone, could you?"

Katria spun, fury smoldering in her silver eyes. Alexi stared back at her, a blade pressed to her pale throat. "Let her go, Gabe," she snarled. "You don't have to do this!"

Gabriel's jaw clenched. "Why did you have to wake up, Kat? Everything would have gone fine if you'd just stayed asleep!"

"_Drugged_, you mean!" Katria accused, her eyes melting black! "You did this – poisoned the Nightblades, threw mistweed into the fire, betrayed your comrades…and for _what_? Because you're nobility?"

"We _all_ are!" Gabriel screamed, drawing a thin line of blood from Alexi's neck. "Every last Nightblade is of noble blood! They _lied_ to us, said we were _orphans_, but we're not! Honedge will only bond with nobles…but kids with loving parents aren't quite as _sacrificial_, are they? Our families don't know which of us is their own child…that's what was written in that book, Kat. A list of _family lines_."

"We both know you won't kill her, Gabe! You need her to die to stop Yveltal! That's what this whole plan was, right? Yveltal will kill the members of the cult as it awakens, and destroy their enemies in exchange! But not if Alexi stops it before it reaches the castle! You'd be a hero, who singlehandedly destroyed the cult and saved the kingdom. You think they'll accept you as a noble son again, don't you?"

Gabriel laughed humorlessly, throwing Alexi to the dirt. "You always were good at chess. But I'm not just some noble _pawn_. Don't you see?" He reached into his pocket, removing a glass midnight stone. He pressed it to his Doublade, spitting out his words. "I'm King Auguste's _firstborn son_. I was born to be a king!"

Her scream was torn away by the explosive light of evolution. Gabriel's rough shout echoed over the battlements, his back arching with shattering white power. Katria braced herself against the shockwave, shielding her face with crossed blades.

Gabriel's shout turned to exhilarated laughter. An Aegislash hovered in his palm, an ebony sash wrapping his arm to the shoulder. A golden shield clasped his other arm, matching the five-foot demon blade fit for a king. "I'm sorry it had to be Alexi! There's no other way, Kat! I won't let anyone stand in my path – not even _you_!"

Metal screamed as her crossed blades caught Aegislash's guillotine cut inches from her forehead. Katria arched back with strain, her muscles burning!

Darkness exploded from her blades, forcing Gabriel back. Katria bounded forward, ghostly power strengthening her to superhuman levels. Her blades clashed and whirled, violet sparks exploding from each point of impact. Her shout was defiance itself, as she fought her rival with intent to kill!

"You wouldn't believe this _power_!" Gabriel crowed, grinning drunkenly. Spectral power whispered around his forehead, shaped like a dark crown. "I'm not even trying!" Aegislash shone with scarlet life energy, batting Katria against a wall as if she weighed nothing.

The earth shuddered, yawning cracks splintering the ground. Red auroras burst from the cracks, throwing shadows on Gabriel's crazed features.

"It's already starting, Kat!" he called out, lazily slicing his Aegislash; a crescent shadow broke free from the sword, an instant away from her dodging roll. It sliced a building in two behind her. "You won't make it in time! It's not too late to change your mind – stand _with_ me. A Nightblade Queen has a nice ring to it, don't you _think_?" He accentuated the last word with a barrage of Shadow Balls. Katria deflected two, leaping high to flip over the rest.

A silver star gleamed between her blades. "_Flash Cannon_!" she called, the molten light-burst nearly taking his head!

Gabriel roared, barreling towards her as the earth shuddered in terrible premonition. For the first time he fought in earnest, his blade slashing and flickering with unnatural speed and power! Katria's arms screamed with each deflection, retreating until her back hit a wall. She ducked, and Aegislash cleft the wall in two. The building groaned and fell, but their deadly dance never faltered, phasing in and out of intangibility at the speed of thought.

Eve took the full brunt of a blow, and Katria's left arm went numb. She stumbled, blocking desperately with Noir, crashing to her knees! "You're no match for my power!" Gabriel bellowed, his hair falling over his forehead crazily. "I was _always_ better!" He struck Noir aside contemptuously, draining a chunk of Katria's life in the same strike! "Stronger!" He kicked her stomach hard, bowling her over.

Gabriel raised his Aegislash high with a single hand, silhouetted against the rumbling cauldron of a storm. "I deserved _better_," he whispered, grief aching behind his words…

Aegislash clattered to the stone.

Katria raised her head just in time to see Gabriel fall to his knees, collapsing lifeless beneath an uncaring sky. The last sparks of his life force flickered feebly, and vanished. She stared at his empty eyes, breathing hard.

"Only a king can wield an Aegislash, Gabe. And you were never worthy. Blood alone doesn't make a leader."

"_Katria_!"

Alexi rushed to her side, nearly tripping on the battlefield. She tackled Katria in a hug, clinging to her fiercely, whispering her name over and over again. "I thought you were going to die!" she wailed. "Oh, Katria…"

Lightning snarled across the storming heavens as the earth shuddered and groaned! The scarlet light seared high into the clouds, as a terrible cry vibrated deep within the bones of the earth.

Katria and Alexi stared at each other hopelessly.

It was too late. Yveltal had awakened.

Alexi stood, strangely calm, her torn dress whipping in the wind. "I guess it's my turn, huh? To protect _you_."

"No!" Katria shouted, true panic thundering through her soul! She couldn't lose Alexi, not after all this! "You don't have to do this, we'll find another way…"

"There _is_ no other way," Alexi apologized, her gaze steady. "No one knows where Xerneas slumbers! I can do this. I _have_ to do this."

"There's a weapon!" Katria shouted, grabbing Alexi's shoulders. "Your father gave it to me before…" she gritted her teeth, soldiering on. "It's an artifact of Xerneas – it's not enough, not alone…but if Yveltal was weakened in battle, using it might send it back into hibernation." Alexi wavered, shock coursing over her face. "Let me go first," Katria urged, sensing her hesitation. "Yveltal won't be at full strength. I can beat it. I know I can!"

"But your life force," Alexi breathed numbly. "Katria, you used so much of it today! You'll die!"

"Not right away. Even if I go all out, we'll have a few years left after! Better that than leaving me alone, right?" Alexi froze, indecision warring in her blue eyes. "Stay here. It will be too dangerous for you. If I fail, it'll be up to you to stop Yveltal. Either way we'll be together, right?"

"Right. Right! We can do this," she breathed, in dawning hope. "Promise me you'll win, Katria?"

"I promise," Katria whispered, knowing she could guarantee nothing.

Alexi smiled, pressing her hand to her heart. "And I promise…I'll be queen! Winning over Alain shouldn't be _too_ difficult. And when I am…I'll change the Nightblades, so there are no more secrets and lies! Kalos needs our haunted blades, but I'll make sure they have a family, at least!"

Fierce pride coursed through Katria, nearly bringing her to tears.

Alexi was the queen the people deserved. Kalos would thrive under her rule.

"I'll be back," Katria promised.

And she descended the long stairs towards the legendary god of death.

~o~

Energy squirmed against her skin with every step, evil and _wrong_. Katria picked her way over rubble and debris from the earthquakes, descending deeper into the catacombs. Grey statues inhabited the base, so life-like they seemed like real people.

The walls shuddered, the earth groaning in protest. Katria froze, until the tremors passed, and continued on her way.

She didn't realize the truth, until she saw a statue with a loaf of soft bread lifted to her lips. Realization crashed over her – they _had_ been people! Yveltal didn't just kill – it turned the bodies to _stone_. Eve and Noir shivered in their sheaths.

It seemed an eternity before she reached the massive double doors in the catacomb's depths. Red light seeped from the crack, pulsing oddly.

Katria swung open the door.

A crystalline scarlet cavern met her eyes, a grand castle beneath the mountains. Dozens of bowing statues circled an _empty_ crater. Katria drew her blades, searching for the enemy.

A shadow uncurled from the high ceiling, hanging upside down by terrible talons. Fear and despair crashed over Katria in a nightmarish mental aura, but she held her ground as Yveltal's scarlet wings spread wide. Its screech was terror and death incarnate, tearing away at her sanity and blowing a fell wind through the crystal.

Starlight burst around her blades. Katria shouted in equal parts defiance and terror, her eyes bleeding black.

Lurid light rained over her, and Katria's back arched in agony. Eve and Noir shrieked, confirming Yveltal's wings had stolen five years in a single breath. Katria's war cry turned to hatred, as she leapt high with her swords over her head, bringing the Sacred Sword down in a powerful double handed slash. Silver energy crashed against clawed scarlet wings.

The crystal _cracked_ at Yveltal's booming shriek, and blood dripped from her ruptured eardrums. Muted ringing was all that remained of her hearing.

"This isn't fair!" Katria shouted, though she couldn't hear herself speak! "You're not even fighting yet!" She landed on shattered crystal dust, ghostly power fortifying her bones. Katria grimaced, a Flash Cannon searing upwards. Yveltal rolled in midair, neatly dodging.

She dove to the side, and statues exploded behind her, crushed by Yveltal's talons. Katria leapt off a kneeling statue to change direction, another Sacred Sword slashing against Yveltal's hide! Sound vibrated against her skin, and she screamed as crimson light bathed the cavern.

How many years, that time?

"If you're a deity…then you won't care if I fight this!" A Hyper Beam shattered against Katria's skin, dispersed like water by a faint ghostly shield!

Ten years? Twenty?

The third Sacred Strike was batted aside by Oblivion Wing, and Eve shattered with a terrible telepathic cry-

"Because we're _nothing_ to you!" Katria jerked Noir _down_, tearing boulders from the ceiling. Ancient Power showered Yveltal like cannon fire. It writhed, smacking a rock towards her by accident, and Katria's left shoulder broke with a sickening pop.

Did it even matter, at this point?

Katria stood tall on a jutting crystal, shifting her senses to hear through _Noir_ as Yveltal dove towards her. Reaching into her pouch for the weapon Branimir had given her-!

She thrust out her hand, and Yveltal stopped, hovering in place.

Katria cried, the music box in her palm singing a sweet lullaby…

"_It's supposed to be secret, but I always knew you. Katria…" _Branimir had whispered, pressing the box into her shaking hands.

"_You were always…such a good big sister!_"

"I'm a willing sacrifice!" Katria Markov shouted, standing tall! "_Go back to sleep!_"

Yveltal's wings beat steadily as it listened. Unoffended by the battle she never could have won. Brilliant red light washed over her, throwing her shadow in stark relief.

Hot tears spilled over Katria's cheeks, and she bitterly regretted her last words to Alexi being a lie.

There had never been a weapon. Just Katria. A blade, not a person.

_Goodbye…_

The brilliant burst of light faded, and Katria's statue stood strong, immortalized in her moment of defiance, a music box singing in her hand.

Yveltal screeched one last time, curling back into a cocoon. Sated at last.

…_little sister._

~o~

Lords and ladies lined the practice hall, talking amongst themselves as newly hatched Honedge hovered uncertainly near small children. A few blades had already chosen their partner, to both their delight. An incredibly lifelike statue stood at the head of the room in a pose of proud defiance…

"Mom!" A little boy ran through the kids, launching himself at a beautiful silver blonde woman. "Mom, _look_!" he shouted, holding out his Honedge with an expression of awe. "I got one!"

"Yes, you did, Raoul," Alexi approved, ruffling his curly blond hair. "And what a fine blade! Perfect for a little prince."

"She says she'll never hurt me," Raoul explained, his forehead pinched. "But she's so _hungry_. Why do the Honedge choose us?"

"Well," Alexi murmured, sitting her son on her lap. "Some say Honedge are reincarnations of great swordsman from old!"

"Like grandma," Raoul cut in seriously.

"Yes, like grandma. Remnants of their personalities remain, and their will lives on, though their human memories are very faint. Perhaps the Honedge used to be like you and me, and protect what they love, even after death." She smiled beatifically at her son. "Now. Are you a ranger, or a guardian? Ask your blade what she wants!"

Raoul's grin lit up his whole face. "That's the best part! She says our job is to guard _you_, Mom! So we'll protect you, no matter what!"

~o~


End file.
